Hardin County
Known species: 55
Total Observations: 846
Population: 31,641
Area in Square Miles: 470
People per Square Mile: 67
Observations per Square Mile: 1.8
County iNaturalist observations
The Observed Species table provides statistical data on all odonata species that have been observed in the county. Below that is a Target Species table listing species that have not yet been documented in this county, but are likely to exist in the county. This list is data-driven by listing species records from neighboring counties.
Observed Species
Common Name | Scientific Name | Hardin Total | Ohio Total | Hardin 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 74 | 8,819 | 25 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 74 | 13,326 | 19 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 73 | 5,111 | 30 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 70 | 10,352 | 27 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 59 | 13,870 | 10 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 49 | 13,169 | 11 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 33 | 2,364 | 10 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 31 | 4,097 | 13 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 31 | 10,727 | 8 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 28 | 6,247 | 6 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 26 | 3,184 | 8 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 24 | 9,898 | 8 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 22 | 4,313 | 3 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 20 | 899 | 1 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 18 | 3,377 | 11 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 18 | 2,390 | 5 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 18 | 5,692 | 3 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 15 | 3,628 | 3 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 13 | 3,492 | 3 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 11 | 2,115 | 3 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 10 | 4,146 | 3 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 10 | 2,839 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 9 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 9 | 458 | 0 | 2022 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 7 | 1,241 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 6 | 3,785 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 6 | 1,518 | 1 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 6 | 6,971 | 0 | 2022 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 6 | 2,752 | 0 | 2019 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 5 | 3,109 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 5 | 7,169 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 5 | 1,991 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 4 | 467 | 1 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 4 | 4,247 | 0 | 2022 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 4 | 942 | 0 | 1997 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 3 | 440 | 0 | 1984 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 255 | 0 | 1997 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 2 | 443 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 2 | 3,761 | 0 | 1995 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2 | 1,687 | 0 | 2018 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,056 | 0 | 2022 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 2 | 1,031 | 0 | 2022 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 748 | 0 | 2019 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 2 | 743 | 0 | 2019 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 740 | 0 | 2019 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 | 620 | 1 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 1 | 4,032 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,357 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1 | 1,204 | 0 | 2017 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,048 | 0 | 2020 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 874 | 0 | 2021 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 860 | 0 | 1958 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 768 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 536 | 0 | 1995 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 515 | 0 | 2019 |
Target Species
Target species are potential County Records - species not yet documented in the county. 'Local Obs' is Local Observations and indicates the number of times that the species has been observed in adjacent counties since 2000, and '# of Counties' is the number of adjacent counties in which those recent observations took place. Zero local observations or recent counties means the existing records are historical. 'Peak Active' is a relative description of when the species has been known to fly.| Common Name | Scientific Name | Ohio Obs | Local Obs | # of Counties | Peak Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 27 | 6 | Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 479 | 55 | 5 | Jun |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 688 | 48 | 5 | Jul-Aug |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 40 | 5 | Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 21 | 5 | Sep |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 478 | 11 | 5 | Jul |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 802 | 46 | 4 | late May-mid Jun |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 277 | 29 | 4 | mid Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 9 | 4 | late Jul |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 8 | 3 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 11 | 2 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 9 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 8 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 7 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 285 | 6 | 2 | Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 439 | 5 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 90 | 5 | 2 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 19 | 3 | 2 | late May |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,037 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 2 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 2 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 23 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 20 | 19 | 1 | Jun |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 106 | 15 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 14 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 733 | 12 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 390 | 12 | 1 | Jun |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 106 | 9 | 1 | Jul |
| Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 216 | 8 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 3 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 3 | 1 | May |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 2 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 542 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 191 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 84 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Hine's Emerald | Somatochlora hineana | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Hardin County is located in the Till Plains ecoregion, straddling the Continental Divide. The northern half of the county is in the Lake Erie Watershed, draining directly north through the Blanchard River, which has its origin in the county (see p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map). The southern half of the county is in the Ohio River Watershed, draining through the Scioto River, which crosses both the western and eastern county borders. Hardin Co is largely agricultural. A small southern portion also feeds the Great Miami headwaters. Hardin Co is one of our under-represented counties. Any Hardin Co observations will help.
Places to Visit
A community park of Kenton Ohio, Saulisberry is an old stone quarry. Saulisberry is a fishing and camping location. There is parking and walking access to the water. Odonata species are skimmers and pond damsels. 30 species recorded.
Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve
Lawrence Woods has a small wetland pond and a number of vernal pool areas. The wetland has a platform and is on the boardwalk. 18 species. Good in the spring before the algae takes over. Consistent site for Great Blue Skimmer when in season. Parking lot, no restrooms.
Veterans Memorial Park - Kenton
East side of Kenton, adjacent to the golf course and Scioto River. The park has a small shallow pond and a larger pond used for fishing and to irrigate the golf course. A reliable location for Rainbow Bluet and routine skimmers and other pond damselflies. 29 species. There are several parking areas and paths.
County Observation Activity
This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in brown, with the average for all Ohio counties in blue. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.
Page updated 18 February 2024